NUS Graduate Scholarship for ASEAN Nationals

The National University of Singapore [NUS] offers 40 scholarships each year to nationals of ASEAN* member countries to take full-time course-work graduate degrees at NUS. Singapore citizens and permanent residents are ineligible. These awards, known as the NUS Graduate Scholarship for ASEAN nationals [NUS GSA], are financed by the People of Singapore and the University. The scholar has no obligation or bond to NUS or Singapore but is expected to complete the graduate degree and return to the home country.

The NUS GSA is only for full-time course-work graduate degrees** conducted at NUS and designated for the scholarship . Candidates receiving other awards will be disqualified from the NUS GSA.

**(The NUS GSA is not for Research or Doctorate [Ph.D.] programmes. The NUS Research Scholarship is available for these programmes. For more information, For more information, please click here.

Application for the NUS GSA

Application for the NUS GSA is decentralised to each NUS Faculty/ School and integrated into the application for each designated graduate degree. Therefore, the application period and due date for the designated graduate degree is applicable to the NUS GSA. There are, however, different application periods and due dates for each designated graduate degree.

Candidates should contact the Administrator of the respective NUS Faculty/School for more information. Contacts of the Administrators at the NUS Faculties/Schools are given in these web pages.

Details of the designated graduate degrees and the administrators are given in these web pages.

Applying for a designated graduate degree

To obtain the application material please write (by post, fax or E-mail) to the appropriate Administrator. Candidates must clearly state their full name, postal address and the designated graduate degree they are interested in and send it to the following address:

AdministratorDepartment of XXXFaculty/School of XXX

Please click here for a list of the mailing address of all the Faculties/Schools.

Candidates should carefully read the instructions and conditions in the application material for the designated graduate degree. A candidate must ensure that the application form, supporting documents and other requirements are fulfilled, completed and submitted before the due date for the designated graduate degree.

Other Eligibility Criteria

There is a limited number of NUS GSA available each academic year and, therefore, it is awarded on a very competitive basis. Only exceptional candidates will be considered. In addition to the eligibility requirement of nationality, a candidate must have:

an excellent academic record and has been or will be admitted by a NUS Faculty/School to pursue a designated graduate degree:

A candidate should be in the top 10% of the class.

Admission may be in either Semester 1 (commencing in July) or, where available, Semester 2 (commencing in January).

a good command of the English language:

an excellent academic record and has been or will be admitted by a NUS Faculty/School to pursue a designated graduate degree:

A candidate’s English language proficiency will be determined by

the Test of English as a Foreign Language [TOEFL] score of at least 550 for the paper-based test or 213 for the computer-based test or 80 for the internet-based score; or

the International English Language Testing System [IELTS] result of at least 6.0; or

such other qualifications as determined by the NUS Faculty/School.

If the NUS Faculty/School specify a higher TOEFL score (e.g. 600 for the paper-based test or 250 for the computer-based test) or IELTS result (e.g. 7.0) as a minimum requirement for a designated graduate degree, the higher score or result will apply.

IELTS University of Cambridge Local Examination Syndicate [UCLES]1 Hills RoadCambridge CB1 2EUUnited KingdomTel: (01223) 55-3311or contact your local British Council

The TOEFL and IELTS are internationally established standards to compare the English language proficiency of candidates from diverse backgrounds and disciplines. This is regardless of whether the English language is the native language or medium of instruction for the candidate, as these do not ensure that the candidate:

has a very good command of the English language;

will cope and benefit from the designated graduate degree (usually conducted in the English language); and

is an outstanding candidate for the NUS GSA.

Except where other qualification has been determined by the NUS Faculty/School, the TOEFL score or IELTS result is required since the NUS GSA is awarded on a competitive basis, where all candidates are compared against a common benchmark.

Please note that:

other English language ‘proficiency tests’ are unacceptable, as they are inconsistent and are not of international standards or comparable to TOEFL or IELTS;

tests that claim to be predictions, estimations, simulations, equivalents, practices, etc. of the TOEFL or IELTS are invalid;

the ETS Institutional Testing Program cannot be used for admission; and

TOEFL score or IELTS result are only valid for 2 years after the test and should be valid at the beginning of the application period for the designated graduate degree.

a minimum of 2 years of relevant working experience as at the application due date:

The years of working experience may be cumulative over different periods of time; and

The scope of working experience should be within the discipline of the designated graduate degree.

A candidate will not be considered for the NUS GSA if:

the candidate does not fulfil the nationality and the 3 eligibility requirements at items 9(a), (b) and (c); or

the candidate’s application is incomplete or received after the due date.